Why Things Go Wrong

420PEOPLE’s Why Things Go Wrong, choreographed by Sylva Šafková and performed by dancers Michal Heriban and Viktor Konvalinka, was created exclusively for Studio Maiselovka. Through contemporary dance, it deals with the (un)moral, ethically challenging nature of human behaviour, which, although often overlooked, seriously affects the lives of everyone around us. Each of us has probably experienced a situation where everything was going right until it all went wrong. Sometimes it’s just a coincidence, but a specific culprit can often be identified. The performance addresses the grave subject of the evil that such people cause.

Why Things Go Wrong was inspired by Aaron James’ book Assholes: A Theory: “We consider a person to be an ‘Asshole’ if they systematically claim to benefit from privileges in interpersonal relationships by virtue of an ingrained sense of entitlement immunising them against other people’s complaints.”

Award

Viktor Konvalinka was nominated for the 2023 Thalia Award in the category of Ballet, Dance and Physical Theatre – Male Performance for his solo in Why Things Go Wrong.
Michal Heriban was included in the wider nominations for the 2023 Thalia Award in the category of Ballet, Dance and Physical Theatre – Male Performance for his solo in Why Things Go Wrong.
Nominated for Aerowaves 2024 (The Twenty24 artists)

About the company

420PEOPLE is a contemporary dance company founded by Václav Kuneš and Nataša Novotná in 2007/2008, after their return from a stint with one of the world’s most prestigious dance theatre companies – Jiří Kylián’s Nederlands Dans Theater. Currently celebrating its 15th year on the Czech and international dance scene, 420PEOPLE, which uses the Czech international telephone code as part of its name, was created as a result of their shared vision to establish their own contemporary dance company in Prague.

420PEOPLE is a contemporary dance company and a “brand.” Under the leadership of its artistic director Václav Kuneš, the company presents a unique contemporary dance vocabulary in performances and original choreographies by contemporary artists (Václav Kuneš, Sylva Šafková) with a modern interpretation at a professional level. They continue to bring extraordinary originality and unforgettable artistic experiences to theatre stages and the Maiselovka Studio. An unconventional dialogue with the audience through workshops, educational activities, online projects, discussions and other accompanying activities is an essential part of their work.